Powder-folding machine



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Patented Nov. 27, 1894.

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POWDER FOLDING MACHINE. 1 No. 529,908. Patented Nov. 27, 1894.

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W. A. HILL. POWDER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 529,908. Pat ente d' Nov. 27,1894.

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POWDER FOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 27, 1894.

UNITE STAT-E P T NT OFFICE. I

WILFORD A. HILL, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 015 Two- THIRDS TO ELMER E, BUTMAN, 0 SAME PLACE, AND GEORGE W. LAWRENCE, OF CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT.

POWD ERl-OLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,908, dated November 27, 1894.

Applicationfiled geptember 8,1893. SerialNo. 485,076. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILFORD A. HILL, of Waltham', in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain 5 new and useful Improvements in Powder- Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention. is to provide I a machine which will fold medicinal powders IO in papers in the. same manner as they are folded by hand, and to this end the invention consists in certain'novel features'of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed. I

The accompanying drawings illustrate a construction for carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 shows a front elevationof the machine. Fig. 3 shows avertical longitudinal section. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show section views which illustrate the steps in the folding operation. Figs. 7 and 8 show respectively a perspective view and a sectional view of a folded powder. Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a device for dumping the powder, Fig. 9 being a side elevation, and Fig. 10 a section. Fig. 11 is a section on line 1111 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the driving disk, the latter being in position with one of the racks about to engage with the spur wheel on shaft 0.

' The letter a designates the supporting.

frame of the machine and b. a hopper supported. thereby in an elevated position and adapted to contain the powder. A vertical shaft b in the hopper carries stirring arms b and a feed-screw b and the said shaft is adapted to be turned by a bevel gear 6 formed with a hub in which the hopper fits, and to which the shaft is pinned. A continuation'b of the hopper forms a bearing for a shaft 0, which is formed with a cavity 0 for receiving and measuring the dose of powder. The shaft in its normal position stands with the cavity a on the upper side where it may be filled with powder from the hopper, and the shaft is adapted tobe rotated so as to invert the cavity and dump the powder therefrom. The shaft carries a gear 0 as a means of receiving rotary motion, and

transmits motion to the gear btby means of a segment affixed to it, and meshing with said gear; I j v A block c" forms the bottom of the cavity 0', and may be adjusted tovary the size of the cavity for different doses. The means here shown for adjusting the block consists in .a

and against which the block bears so that by turning the'said eccentric rod the block may be moved in the cavity and the depth thereof varied. A knob d connected to the end of the rod d by means of a spindle e provides rod 01 supported eccentrically in the shaft 0.

means for turning the latter, and said knob will be marked to indicate different doses, and by registering these marks with an index-finger d the proper adjustment of the block (1 can be determined. The block is preferably spring actuated against the eccentric rod by means of springs a one of which is shown in Fig. 10.

Means maybe employed to project the block and clear the cavity of powder when it I reaches the dumping position, as follows,

(see Figs. 9 and 10:) An indicator arm e is mounted loosely on the'stem of the rod d, and projects over the periphery of the knob 01, and is provided with a set-screw 61 to fix it at different points determined by a scale on the knob. To adjust the block 0 the knob is turned until the arm e abuts against a stop 6 projecting from the end of shaft 0. w e is fixed on the stem of the knob and asegment 6 is adjustablyfastened to the frame, and is designed to remain fixed at one position while the machine operates. The said gear being eccentric to the shaft, 0, when the Agear' latter is rotated the center of said gear describes an orbit and some of its teeth will encounter the segment a and the rod d will project the block 0 and cause it to clearthe cavblock a.

The paper 2 of which the powders are formed is carried in a rolland' is fed in a continuous strip by feed-rollers f and f, the latter beingsupported in pivotal bearings and.

spring actuated against the former, and the roller f carrying a gear f as a means of receiving motion. A chute g is supported in a position to receive the paper from the feed rollers and guide it to the cutter and folders. The cutter is composed of two members, the stationary one of which, h is carried by pivoted arms h, and pressed down by springs 7L2. The other member 72, of the cutter is carried on a bar M, which constitutes a folder as will hereinafter appear, and is pivoted to the frame of the machine, its center of movement being at the point 71*. Said bar It carries a segmental side-piece h? which supports the knife h. A barf is fixed to the frame of the machine in such a position that the bar k may abut against it in its normal position with its outer or top side flush with the edge of the bar 2', and when the bar h is turned forward on its pivot a corner is formed in which the paper is creased, as hereinafter explained. A bedj is fastened to the frame of the machine at a point below the bar 71, and is cut out at the middle to form a depressionj'. A folder-plate j projects from a bar 7' which is pivoted to the frame of the machine, so as to bringthe axial line at the lower edge of the bed j, at which place the paper is creased. The bar 7' carries a pair of curved fingers 3' extending parallel with the plate j. Guides k are connected with the frame, on opposite sides of bed j, by hinges la, and are held by springs in position to receive the paper from the chute g. The bar j carries fingers 3' which are arranged to abut the guides in, and throw them outward clear of the edges of the paper.

A folding bar or plate m is pivoted to the frame so that it may normally have position below the bed j,and said bar and bed are beveled, and their edges meet at a corner where a fold is made in the paper. The bar we carries wipers m at opposite sides, which wipers have a quadrant shape, and in their normal position have their straight edges flush with the barJv. and bed j. These wipers turn down the ends of the folded paper'by passing the ends of the bed j.

The operation is as follows: The feed-rolle'rs feed the proper length of paper out of the chute g, and over the bed j and folder 7' said paper being confined in the guides 70 at each side. The said folder j moves over to the position shown in Fig 4, thus folding the paper, as the latter is held in the guides 70, and said folder stops long enough to allow the shaft 0 to dump the powder contained in the cavity 0'. This charge of the powder falls into the bite of paper formed by the folderj and is accommodated in the depression j in the bed 3'. The folder j is carried on and folds the paper down upon the bed j, and at the same time the knife h advances far enough to cut the paper in coaction with the knife h. Then the knife 72 recedes sufliciently to allow the edge of the paper to fall back under it and against the bar Jr. This bar advances again, and the edge of the paper being held by engagement with the knife, a crease will be formedbetween the bar 71., and the stationary bar 2'. The folder it folds down the paper sufficiently to bring its edge under the fingers 7' and then returns to its normal position, leaving the paper. The folder m is turned outward on its pivot and carries the paper over onto the bed j, a crease being formed between the edges of the said folder and the bed,and the fingers 9' directingthe part folded by the bar 7L4, upon the body of the paper. At the same time the wipers m pass the ends of the bed and turn down the ends of the folded paper.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 6 that the paper has been doubly folded, and that the part 3 containing the powder is under the folder plate 7' while the other part 4 is on top of said plate, and the ends 5 extend past the bed j. The folders m andj return to their normal positions, and the plate 7' carries the folder over and delivers it.

The guides 70 are moved out of the path of the knife h, and folder on by fingers j on the bar 7' It will be seen that the powder is folded exactly as it is customary to do it by hand, one edge of the paper being folded over the other as seen at 6, Fig. 8.

The means here shown for imparting motion to the parts at the proper times consist in a disk ohaving mutilated teeth in its inner side adapted to engage the gears f and c and gears h and j and m, on the journals of the folders, at the proper time.

The rows of teeth projecting from the disk constitute racks, and they will be so termed. Referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 11, particularly the latter, it will be seen that the racks are adapted to engage with the gears or pinions as follows: rack 0' with gear 0 rack 0 with gear f 2 (the teeth of rack o are longer than those of rack 0, the latter passing by the side of gear f racks 0 and 0 with opposite sides of gear h to rotate it alternately in opposite directions; racks 0 and 0 with opposite sides of gear m", racks 0 and o with opposite sides of gearj".

It is evident variations may be made in the structure here illustrated, and hence the invention is not limited in this respect.

I-Iaving'thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A powdenfolding machine comprising in its construction paper feeding mechanism, a pivotal folder for forming the fold which receives the powder, a cutter which severs the piece of paper and also constitutes a folder for making the fold which carries one edge of the paper over the other, a final folder and end-wiper, and means for actuating the above named parts in their proper order.

2. A machine of the character described comprising in itsconstruction paper feeding mechanism, a primary pivoted folder for making the fold which receives the powder, a pivoted cutter for severing the piece of paper, said cutter constructed to serve as a folder to carry one edge of the paper over the other, and a final pivoted folder having Wipers to turn the ends of the folded paper.

3. A machine of the character described comprising in its construction guides for holding the paper, a pivoted folder for making the fold which receives the powder, said folder having projections which act against the guides and move them free of the paper, a combined cutter and folder, and a final folder and end-wiper.

4. A machine of the character described, comprising in its construction a bed, a'primary pivotal folder adapted to make the fold which receives the powder and carrying curved fingers, a pivotal folder adapted to make thefold which carries one edge of the paper over the other, and a final pivoted folder which carries the folded paper under the curved fingers on the primary folder and donbles the paper upon the bed.

5. A machine'of the character described, comprising in its construction a hopper; and a rotatable shaft therein, carrying stirring arms and a feed-screw below said stirring arms, mechanism for discharging a pre-d etermined quantity of powder from said hopper, mechanism for feeding intermittently a continuous strip of paper, a cutter for severing the paper, folders for turning the sides and ends of the severed paper, and means for intermittently operating the several parts.

6. In a powder-foldin g machine, the combination with feed-mechanism, pivotal folders, and a cutter, each having a gear or pinion on its journal of a disk havingmutilated teeth for actuating the gears or pinions in their 45 proper order. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of tWosubscribing witnesses, this 31st day of August, A. D. 1893.

WILFORD A. HILL.

Witnesses G. F. BROWN, F. PARKER DAVIS. 

